Casa Verde: LA Gets Windy

While most folks think of Hollywood decadence and glamour when they think of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the US has pledged to procure 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010. According to the LA Daily News, one critical part of this renewable equation is the construction of a wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains, located about 100 miles north of the city. Costing an estimated $425 million, the 120-megawatt facility will feature 80 turbines as well as a new high-voltage transmission line. The wind farm will essentially double the amount of electricity that the city currently receives from wind power. While this wind farm was slated for opening more than four years ago, delays (very possibly related to earthquakes) prevented its building. LA's Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has also announced plans for another wind farm on a nearby site. This boost in wind power would result in enough electricity to generate power for almost 130,000 homes. The project has the support of environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Union of Concerned Scientists.